I had heard stories about the Grand Canyon before, as have most people. We hear how it is so enormous that you can hardly even believe it is real. There are tales of its immeasurable size and horrors of its deadly trails and cliffs. I had mentally prepared myself for these things before I had arrived.
On May 30, 2016, I stepped foot onto the outer edge of what some may call the best of the “Seven Wonders of the World”. As my family and I looked on at South Kaibab Trail, no one dared utter a word, for we all were trying to etch the picture we were beholding into our minds so that it would never be lost. After our initial shock at the picture before us, we each murmured, “Wow”. There was nothing around us for miles, only a large hole at the edge of which we stood. From our point of view, the canyon was our own universe. I had never felt so small in my life, looking below into the abyss.
As the summer sun beamed down on us, I took time to sit and actually acknowledge everything in the universe around me. There was not a cloud in the sky to mask the immense heat, nor was there a tree to provide shade. Little creatures roamed the ground and rocks, oblivious to what was going on around them. Kids held their parents’ hands pointing to a California Condor that was nesting down the trail a ways. Smiles were plastered on the faces of all visitors.
One of the most unbelievable things about the Grand Canyon was its uncanny ability to make anyone feel extremely small. As I stood and watched everything around me, I knew what it was like to be an ant. I saw the canyon through tiny, tiny eyes, beholding all of the beauty that surrounded me.
Although I was blindsided by the sheer size of the landmark, the best part of the trip was not even the first glance of the Grand Canyon; it was the sunset I watched that night. I saw reds, yellows, blues, and purples. The colors all blended together to make the perfect sunset, better than any painting or drawing. I tried my best to capture all of the beauty with a camera, but not enough justice was done. Closing my eyes, I could still picture what it looked like. One moment the sun was so bright, shining directly into your eyes. The next, it was gone, leaving watercolors in its place. From afar, the other side of the canyon, at least a mile away, seemed as it was covered with mist giving me an eerie feeling . There was a slight breeze blowing, enough to make you smile as you shut your eyes wondering if any of this is actually real.
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